Reunion
by Bri Nara
Summary: The encounter of Eustace and the crew of the Dawn Treader from Eustace's POV. Bookverse


**Narnian Dragon Production**

_This is usually one of the scenarios that run through my head as I read the part where Eustace reunites with the others as a dragon because most of that part is dialogue and it's not told from his POV anymore. So it leaves room to think along the lines of 'What was he thinking as he was seeing them, especially since he was confused as to what was going on?' I don't own Chronicles of Narnia._

* * *

There he lied on the beach, with the first colors of the sky at last appearing and the birds of the island awakening.

His name was Eustace Clarence Scrubb and though that was his name before this trouble had befallen him, it only seemed to add insult to injury at the moment.

He once again glanced at the clawed and scaly paws that had replaced his hands. He felt a spike of fear go through him before he reminded himself, yes, that was his claw. His claw, his scales, his smoke, his wings, his tail and whatever else came with this new beastly form.

Eustace still was not even sure of _what_ he now was. The word '_monster' _came to mind several times throughout the night but he tried hard not to linger on it. Perhaps Lucy or Edmund or those Narnians knew the name of the creature he'd become. They were the experts in this sort of thing, after all.

He let out a sigh; black smoke from his mouth obscuring his vision briefly. He wondered what would happen once the others saw him. He went through different scenarios in his head repeatedly. What if they tried to attack him? Because certainly Narnians were the kind of knights to be brave enough to attempt such a thing. What if they were afraid of him? What if he made Lucy scream? What if he couldn't tell them that he was Eustace and not some strange creature?

More tears welled up in his eyes at the thought. He choked back another sob. No, everything would turn out fine, he tried to convince himself.

He heard the sound of footsteps crunching the sand of the beach. Not just one set of footsteps either; it was an entire crowd. He lifted his great head and looked in the direction it was coming from. His eyes widened in horror at the sight.

It was the others. The entire crew of the Dawn Treader was approaching him. However, they were glaring at him in a way that said that they weren't backing down. Each of them had a sword drawn.

He scrambled up to his feet. No, he hadn't wanted this to happen! He tried to back away in the best way that he could whilst being unused to walking on all fours and with that bracelet still on him.

He could feel more tears fill his eyes and he shook his head. He wished that he could tell them to stop looking at him like that. That it was just him. Instead, all he could do was shake his head as they continued to march toward him.

"What's it wagging its head like that for?" said Edmund.

Eustace stopped as an idea suddenly came to him. That was it! He couldn't use words, but he could still use his head. He nodded his head, hoping that they would stop and notice what he was doing.

"And now it's nodding," said Caspian.

"And there's something coming from its eyes," said Drinian.

His tears. For a brief moment, he felt embarrassed for being caught crying. However, the embarrassment went away when he saw the crew were lowering their weapons with looks of astonishment and confusion. Evidently, whatever he was seldom cry.

"Oh, you can't see," said Lucy. "It's crying. Those are tears."

"I shouldn't trust that, Ma'am," said Drinian. "That's what crocodiles do, to put you off your guard."

'Do I look like a crocodile to you? Do you really think I'd stoop to that?' is what Eustace wanted to say. However this was reduced to a rather panicked shake of the head as more men raised their swords.

"It wagged its head as you said that," remarked Edmund. "Just as if it meant No. Look, there it goes again."

"Do you think it understands what we're saying?" Lucy asked.

She said this quietly and to Edmund, but Eustace had heard her anyways. He nodded his head desperately. He was harmless, honest! He wanted them to believe that.

Reepicheep slipped down off Lucy's shoulder and approached Eustace. He could see Caspian give the mouse an expression that was partly exasperated and partly concern. He snapped his attention back to Reepicheep as the other began speaking.

"Dragon," Reepicheep said as he held a sword up to his face. Rather, as close as he could reach. "Can you understand speech?"

Dragon. So that's what he was now. He attempted to recall what he knew about 'dragons' but drew nothing.

He nodded his head once again as the mouse's eyes narrowed.

"Can you speak?"

Eustace had already tested this hours ago. His voice, let alone his mouth, was too ill-suited to form words. He sadly shook his head.

"Then it is idle to ask you your business." Several men sheathed their swords, however, Reepicheep kept his fixed upon the dragon's face. "But if you will swear friendship with us raise your left foreleg above your head."

He immediately moved to raise his arm... foreleg to the mouse's request. It was a simple enough request, he thought. That was, until a sharp pang of pain shot up his foreleg. He jerked back, which only made the pain worse. So he tried again, ever so slowly, the bracelet reflecting the light of the early morning sun.

"Oh look," said Lucy as she pointed at the bracelet, "there's something wrong with its leg. The poor thing- that's probably what it was crying about. Perhaps it came to us to be cured like in Androcles and the lion."

Eustace flinched back when Lucy and the others ran toward him. As much as he was relieved at knowing they wouldn't harm him, he didn't really appreciate being called 'it' and 'poor thing'. He couldn't really change that until he could convey who he really was.

"Show me your poor paw." Lucy pulled out her bottle of cordial. "I might be able to cure it."

The dragon's eyes lit up with hope. He recognized the cordial from before. It was the stuff that cured him of his seasickness! That made it magic, right? Maybe it could change him back to normal. He held out his foreleg eagerly.

Lucy poured a few drops of cordial onto the swollen limb. He felt his heart sink. While it did provide some relief, he was still a dragon; and there was still no possible way to remove the bracelet causing him pain in the first place. Eustace lowered his head in disappointment. What did he expect to happen? The bracelet start melting?

"Look!" Caspian suddenly exclaimed.

There was suddenly a flurry of words between Drinian and Caspian. What Eustace understood from it was this: he was wearing the arm-ring of one of the lords they were looking for.

"Villain," Reepicheep's eyes narrowed, "have you devoured a Narnian lord?"

Eustace violently shook his head. He had _just _gotten them to approach him, why was this happening _now_?

"Or perhaps," said Lucy, "this _is _the Lord Octesian, turned into a dragon- under an enchantment, you know."

If the dragon could smile, he would have. She was close. Oh _so _close!

"Are you the Lord Octesian?" Lucy asked him. He shook his head, a bit disappointed that she still didn't realize it was him. Until she said:

"Are you someone enchanted- someone human, I mean?"

He gave her his most eager nod yet.

The gravity of his situation hit him at full force once again as he saw the expressions on his cousins' faces change. As realization dawned upon both of them, their gazes upon him turned into looks of combined shock, confusion, sympathy, and sorrow. What had he _become _exactly to earn those looks? The tears that had vanished were beginning to form anew.

Lucy exchanged glances with Edmund. Eustace flinched away when the girl looked him in the eye and stepped closer.

"E..." she tried to say. "E... Eus... Eustace...?"

The tears spilled over as he nodded his head. He let everything out as everyone gasped and jumped back. He finally started crying before them. The sailors no longer saw a dragon, but a confused and cursed child crying from shame.

"D... Don't cry..." Lucy said quietly as she reached up to touch his face. "Oh, please. Don't cry."

He felt her hand brush against his skin. _Scales_, he corrected miserably as he sobbed. _Not skin, scales. Because I'm not... I'm not even a person anymore! I'm just a great, big_ thing! Nothing made it more obvious than having to see his cousin, his older and formerly-the-same-size-as-him cousin, have to stand on her tip-toes just to touch him. He bowed his head, hoping that if he curled up enough, he could become at least smaller.

Imagine his surprise when he felt a pair of warm lips gently press against his face.

His head jerked back up to stare at Lucy. She let out a small laugh at the surprised look on his face. "There. Do you feel better now, Eustace?" When he slowly nodded his head, she smiled. "Good."

As everyone stood there on the beach, some trying to wrap their minds around the whole situation and some worrying on what to do with the dragon, somehow he just knew.

This was what he was hoping for.

**Fiiiiinaaaaallyyyy. I finished this!**

**Um, review, please?**


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